Spent a refreshing couple of days around Yakima last wek (Oct.
19-20) exploring one of the few niches of this state that had
escaped my attention -- the great valley west of Wapato and
Toppenish --DeLorme page 36. The experience only whetted my appetite
for a more productive time of year, like April-June. Fort Simcoe (a
state park open weekends and holidays during the winter but still
discretely accessible weekdays) at the extreme west end of the
valley is an oak oasis and, while very quiet when I was there, was
the location of the first sighting of Acorn Woodpeckers in our
state. Best bird there was an busy Prairie Falcon on the forts
periphery.

Most interesting birds were the 24 Bobolinks found just west of the
thriving metropolis of Brownstown on power lines on 10/19.

Another good point: espresso has come to White Swan!

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Fred Bird fredbird at Halcyon.com
1249 NE 92nd St. 206-526-5671 - v
Seattle 98115 206-5226557 - fax